All of this was merely an opening salvo to the media frenzy that’s sure to unfurl in the coming days and weeks, of course.

And while it certainly behooved James and Bosh to remain as noncommittal as possible, you certainly get the feeling that their first priority—financially as well as competitively—is to return to the franchise that netted them a pair of championships.

Pat Riley, Miami’s president of basketball operations, has earned a reputation as a legendary closer. If he was able to work his magic on forming the Big Three in the first place, you’d better believe he’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve to keep them around.